But since it’s the government refusing to provide life-saving health care…

There are two tiers of men with advanced prostate cancer in Ontario: Those who get access to a remarkable drug through private insurance, and those who get a death sentence.

That latter group is also known as: people relying on gummint health care.

The grim news is often delivered at the London Regional Cancer Program to men whose shoulders sag and jaws drop when told Ontario’s Health Ministry has for 15 months refused to pay for a medication covered by every other Canadian province.

“There’s shock, fury and dismay,” said oncologist Kylea Potvin. “Everyone thinks we have this wonderful universal health care system, but this is absolutely not the case. We’ve increasingly become a two-tier health care system where if you have money, you have access.”

Or if you live anywhere but Ontario. Or do they not have poor people in Saskatchewan?

It’s important to note: the Canadian health care system approved the drug (as has the U.S.), but Ontario is denying it. Why?

(Health Minister Deb Matthews) admitted it was the drug’s costs that had been the holdup and said she hoped negotiations now under way would further reduce the price enough for the ministry to cover the costs.

Well, look. If the Ontario health care system is promising certain things, but this drug isn’t among those things, then really…hey, I understand, it still sucks, but…were you promised that drug? Did the gummint commit to providing that drug?

No? Then why would we expect them to provide it?

Maybe for the same reason that a private health care company would be dragged across broken, flaming glass by these very same government officials if a private company pleaded “cost” when denying a life-saving drug.

But never mind. It isn’t a private company: it’s the government. And when the government denies coverage, that’s universal!